Kachchiyappa Chivachariyar

In the thoNdai land renowned for its scholars, in the capital city which is praised as "kAnychi - THE city" in the ancient bhArat, kachchiyappa chivAchchAriyAr was born. He came in the family, which is the priest for the Lord murugan temple kan^dha kOttam in that city. He had well learnt thamiz and SaMskR^itam and had a very good poetic talence. He had ardent love for Lord murugan.

One day Lord muruga appeared in the dream of his devotee and ordered him to compose his story in thamiz which is told in the shiva rahasya kANdam, which is the first kAndam in sha.nkara saMhita, which is one of the six saMhitas of the skandha purANam in saMskR^itam. He asked the devotee to name it as kan^dha purANam and also gave the start off words as thigadachakkaram. The devotee when woke up was thrilled with joy. He saluted the Lord muruga and started composing the kan^dha purANam each day 100 verses. Everyday after completing the 100 verses he used to keep the written palm leaves at the feet of Lord muruga. When he returns the next day, he would see that a few places in his work have been corrected ! This way the loving devotee completed the work comprising of six kANdams and 10345 verses all together.

Later he called for the meet of scholars of thoNdai land and get his work approved in that meet, as it was customery in those days. When he started elucidating the kan^dha purANam praying the Lord, he started with the first line thigada chakkarach chemmukam ain^dhuLAm (The One with glorious ten hands and five perfect faces). For this the word thigadachakkram would be broken into thigaz dhachakkaram. One of the poets in the hall raised an objection saying that there existed no rule in thamiz grammar that would render the combination of z and dha into da, and asked kachchiyappa shivAhcchAriyAr to show the rule and then proceed. The devotee who was stopped at debut was unable to answer and requested the oppponent to accept it as it is, since it was given to him by Lord muruga. But the other poet did not agree and halted the presentation.

The devotee with a broken heart fell on the feet of Lord muruga and cried that only Lord muruga could explain the wordings he gave. He slept there itself of fatigue. Inhis dream the Lord muruga told him that his problem will be solved in the next day session by a chOza poet. When the meeting started the next morning, there was a young charming poet at the center of the stage with a book in his hand. As the opponent poet again raised the question in the session, the young poet rose and directed the attention of the scholars to the 18th song in the san^dhip padalam of a grammar text called vIrachOziyam, which suggested the rendering of the combination under controversy. The entire hall lauded the referance and wondered how they forgot that grammar rule. At once the young poet disappeared. Realising that it was Lord muruga himslef the scholars commended the work of kachchiyappar.

The presentation went on well. At the completion of it the corporates of the city took him around the city on a tusk palanquin as a markof respect. The devotee taught this text to his students nyAna varOdhayar and others, made copies written. He merged in the bliss of Lord muruga of kan^dha kOttam one day.